Some Stray Notes for this Week

While we have some interesting feast days this week, both involving Archbishops of Canterbury, I will probably not have anything terribly pithy to say about them until later. Instead, I just want to make note of a few observations and ask for your help with one.

First, Nancy and Dawn, of our Stewardship Committee, attended a conference the weekend before last that was conducted by the chief stewardship officer of the national Episcopal Church. They brought back a great amount of information with them, which they presented to the St. Paul’s Vestry last night, including some ideas that we will begin to implement during the year.

Perhaps the most interesting to me was the resurrection of what had been a noble tradition in the Episcopal Church; one that was practiced when I was a child and that was lost I suppose through the changes that are part of the dynamism of any Spirit-driven human activity. When I was a kid [clearly, one is middle-aged when sentences begin this way], it was a common part of the Sunday School experience to have the children present their own collection at the Offertory. We had our own envelopes [as do children today], our own pledge cards [2 cents a week, in my case], and our own collection plate. The plate was taken up with the others by a member of the Sunday School.

I had forgotten about this until Dawn and Nancy mentioned it last night. Apparently, everything old is new again. This I hope we will begin to do as soon as possible, as our children are not just the future of the church, but its present, as well.

Second, I want to compliment the Vestry members for their ability to discuss complicated topics while maintaining primary awareness of why we are here. I have worked with far too many vestries who saw themselves as a sort of “holy board of trustees”. Thankfully, the Vestry of St. Paul’s sees itself as a collection of Christians dedicated to furthering the Word of God through the medium of St. Paul’s Church. Their discussions and debates are marked with civility and faith. This is not a small accomplishment and I am grateful for it.

Third, it must be obvious to all that I do not write my sermons word-for-word and read them to the congregation. I have long felt that what makes a sermon different from a lecture or speech is that it is an act of faithful, confident proclamation. Such proclamation is functional only if the preacher remains as open to the Holy Spirit as is feasible, even during the act of preaching itself.

Of course, the problem with that practice is that there is no written copy of the sermon. So, as we have the equipment and wherewithal, we need to have someone who is willing to be in charge of seeing that the sermons, and perhaps the entire Sunday service, are recorded. It is a simple responsibility. Actually, it must be, as I have not been able to find anyone willing to do it.

So, please, help me with this.

I appreciate your patience in reading this posting. Its length may have something to do with the fact that I’ve already had two cups of coffee. At any rate, please continue to pray for me so that I may be able to serve St. Paul’s in an appropriate manner. Please know that I continue to pray for all of you by name.